The Eleusinian mysteries & rites. - The Masonic Trowel

56 ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES AND RITES
The share, the crooked plough's strong beam, the wain
That slowly rolls on Ceres to her fane :
Hails, sleds, light osiers, and the harrow's load,
The hurdle, and the mystic van of God.
The distance covered by the procession was twenty-
two kilometres, but Lycurgus ordered that if any
woman should ride in a chariot to Eleusis she should
be mulcted in a line of 8,000 drachmas. This was
to prevent the richer women from distinguishing
themselves from their poorer sisters. Strange to
relate, the wife of Lycurgus was the first to break
this law, and Lycurgus himself had to pay the fine
which he had ordained. He not only paid the
penalty, but gave a talent to the informer. Immedi-
ately upon the deposit of the sacred objects in the
Eleusinion, at the foot of the Acropolis, one of the
Eleusinian priests solemnly announced their arrival
to the priestess of the tutelary goddess of Athens
Pallas Athene. Plutarch, in commenting upon lucky
and unlucky days, says that he is aware that un-
lucky things happen sometimes on lucky days,
for the Athenians had to receive a Macedonian
garrison " even on the 20th of Boedromion, the
day on which they led forth the mystic lacchos."
Seventh Day.—On the seventh day the statue
was carried back to Athens. The return journey
was also a solemn procession, and attended with
numerous ceremonies. Halts were again made at
several places, like the " stations " of Roman Catholic
—